Welcome to exam season! Ah yes, just like that we’re back at it again. Today, I want to introduce an evidence-based and methodological approach to having a sweet treat (kidding, but someone should really get started on this)! A sweet treat to me can be defined as something used to reward yourself for doing something amazing or when you need a pick-me-up. To me, it has been really important to learn how to congratulate myself on the small wins so that I’m able to stay motivated. So, I present how a sweet treat can be motivation, a motivator, and how overuse can cause negative results.
For me, exam season is always go go go. I tend to stay away from cramming, but I am a chronic worrier so even if the exam is a month away, it’s already in my mind to get started on studying. This is an easy loop for me to spiral into burnout. Therefore, when I start feeling like I am entering the cycle of overstressing, I take a few moments out of my day to go out and get fresh air. During this walk, I try my best to only worry about re-centering myself and letting go of the stressors in my life. This walk is usually a cutesy walk to the nearest personal fuel station AKA “where is the nearest bubble tea store” in Google Maps. Sweet treats don’t always have to involve buying anything either. They can be in any form so long as you feel like you can be in a place that is separated from your daily stressors.
They can also be used as motivators during long study runs. I know we all pull all-nighters or all-dayers while studying. For me, I usually set huge blocks of time that are solely dedicated to doing school work and getting caught up on work outside of school. I put on my headphones and it is LOCK IN TIME. If I am able to get through this block successfully without distractions, I usually go out with friends to grab a quick snack or drink to signify that hard work pays off. I see this method as a motivator instead of motivation because I am running towards the goal, while the previous tactic involved removing yourself from the situation when you are overwhelmed.
Lastly, it is important for me to say that over-sweet-treating could be bad for your well-being as well. I know for myself when I become stressed, I develop a very avoidant relationship with work and come up with any excuse to not do it. I may go on sweet treat runs more than once a day or I go on them when I have not had a productive day. This sort of tricks my brain into thinking that it is OK if I do not do anything because I still get rewarded. I try to stay away from this habit as much as possible to make sure that I have a healthy balance.
I hope you all take care of yourself and indulge in some sweet treats during this exam season <3.